WILLIAM ROSE BENET - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 03/18/1941 - HFSID 72968

WILLIAM ROSE BENET
The poet signs a typed letter discussing the pending publication of the poem for which he will win a Pulitzer Prize.
Typed Letter signed: "William Rose Benet", 1 page, 8½x11. St. Augustine, Florida, 1941 March 18. To "Dear Mrs. [J.M.] Wainwright". In full: "My friend, Mina Turner, who runs the Aviles Bookshop, where we get our mail, is descended from Gertrude Käsebier who was a famous photographer, and is a good photographer herself. She has made me several prints of Muray's portrait of Elinor. I am sending you one. She informs me however that she thinks the hypo may not have been quite right, so if your picture begins to fade I'll see you get another. But probably it will be all right. I am so glad that your new son-in-law is one you like so much. Please convey my best wishes to the 'happy pair'. You must indeed by happy. 'The Dust Which Is God' is being held up because it is under consideration by the Book-Of-The-Month. I have no idea they will take it, but we won't know for another week or so. Steve and my friends seem to think it the best thing I've done. It's 'powerful' long! I expect to be down here for several months more, working, d.v. We've been to the James Branch Cabells who are here for the winter. My window looks right out on the ocean (East Coast), but it's still rather chilly here. Very best wishes as always." Horizontal and vertical mailing folds. Fine condition. Accompanied by original mailing envelope with Benet's typed return address and typed address of Mrs. Wainwright in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Lightly creased and soiled, with 1½-inch tear above return address.William Rose Benet (1886-1950), the brother of poet Stephen Vincent Benet (1898-1943) and husband of poet Elinor Wylie (1885-1928), founded the "Saturday Review of Literature" (1924), editing it until his death. He was also an accomplished poet, winning the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry (1942) for "The Dust Which is God." Two items.